Obama rallies, raises cash in Oakland

OAKLAND, CA - The presidential campaign which seemed to take a pause after last week's tragic events in Colorado resumed in full force Monday, with both major candidates swinging through California for quick cash and sharp jabs.

"I've got to tell you, Oakland, he is dead wrong," said President Barack Obama about Republican Mitt Romney to a large crowd at a private fundraiser inside Oakland's historic Fox Theater.

Obama went on to criticize his Republican challenger on issues ranging from economic help for the middle class to health care. Supporters paid between $100 and $7500 to attend the third in a trio of Obama campaign fundraisers in Oakland.

Meantime, Romney started his Monday in the Bay Area after weekend fundraisers, heading to Costa Mesa for a roundtable with local business leaders.

Both men continued the dash for cash that's now become California's main role in the 2012 presidential election. President Obama's events were expected to bring in a total of some $4 million for his campaign.

"We're not going back, we're going forward, Oakland!" he told the crowd to a standing ovation.

The event location was an interesting choice, in that the theater is just a few blocks from the heart of Oakland's medical marijuana community -- where federal agents have recently cracked down on several dispensaries. As such, the crowd outside the event was critical of Obama administration policy.